The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1887-10-19
THE WEEK OF sEvEN DAYS.
As has been remarked by the COM
mentators. and as is apparent TO careful

mentators. and as is apparent 10 careful
readers, 10 would seem that some notion
OF the week Of eve DAYS was cIrrcitt
among the people whose history j. r.
corded a very early times, tia! +, ~
say. at q date long preceding Moses or
any OF the books written by him. TIE
proof Of this is TO be found ia sugG
passages as the following: Genes,
XXX, 81. where Jacob IS desired vs.
Laban to fulfill her week" that IS
lAah's week, in order that he might
also receive Rachel. The week appear
10 express the time given up TO nuptjni
festivities. SO afterward 10 judges.
xiv, where Samson speaks Of "taD
seven days of the feast" So also on
the occasion Of the death Of jacob,
Joseph made q mourning for mis- fr,hhr
seven days" Genesis. l., 100 Bat
neither cf these instances, anv more
than Noan's procedure in the ark. 20
further than showing the custom OF OBJ
serving a term Of seven days for any
observance Of importance" They do
not prove that the whole year or the
whole month was thus divided at all
hines and without regard 10 remark
able events. They DO not indeed prove
this. but they suggest the division rs
common and familiar and in some early
period recognized as an institution.
When, therefore, the children Of Israel
went down TO Egypt for what proved to
be a very long s~ojouCn in that country
they possibly We're familiar with the
practice OF dividing time By weeks, and
ct all events the notion 81 seven days a,
@ convenient VJltion Of time for the
affairs OF life would not seem altogether
strange 10 them. Il is exceedingly
probable that on arriving in Egypt they
found the week established by the pra"-
tice of the country. l. will be observed
that it was in Egypt that Joseph mourn
ed seven DAYS for jacob; and it is pos
sible, though there seems to be no ncccs-
sity TO assume the fact, that in 50 doing
he was conforming 20 the custom OF the
country, as lie did with regard TO the
c~mbalming and chcs,ing Of his fathers
remains. Bat independently Of any
such consideration. i; would seem high
~ probable that the lsyac.t!cS found
themselves in Egypt among n people
who divided the time by weeks Of seven
days. We know that they lid 50 1T y
later period; why might they not have
commenced rs early rs before the So
journ Of the Israelitcs? The Egyptians
were, 10 fact, n people very likely 10 be
advanced in such IL matter rs this;
order and government, both ccc!C5ia,ti-
cal and civil, were undoubtedly ~ a re.
markable state OF perfection ut ;ho I M,
TO which reference is now made, uud i
would seem much more probable than
otherwise that So convention: an insltu-
ton as the subdjyls on OF The month
into short periods had already been
established. 1t may be no;nd ni,h
reference 10 the number soyon and is
recognition in some form or another rs
a special number ,I!ong tho Egyptians,
that We have incidental evidence in the
dream Of Pharaoh; the special form Of
the dream, as presenting seven fat and
seven lean kline, may be supposed 70
have been connected win so'rc tamil
iarity in PharGoh's mind with the mum
Der seven during his waking hours.
And as regards the lsraelitcs, 1t NAV be
observed that the period OF seven days
IS introduced into the most solemn
even: Of their Egyptian s~ojourn, name
Is. the ordinance OF tho Passover.
Seven days shall We eat unlcavcnvd
bread; even tho first dav We shc.. pat
away lcaven out Of your houses; fuy
whosoeycr catcth lcavcm bread from tile
first until the seventh day. that egI.
shall be cut off from Israel. Ihl
bishop Of Carlisle ia The Contemporary
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